I visited London’s greenest fire station (as awarded in 2011) today. It’s actually my local fire station in Surbiton, and the garden would rival anything that self-sufficient dwellers Tom and Barbara would’ve created in the 1970s TV series, The Good Life, where it was set.

Firefighter Simon Jakeman showed me around. We’ve chatted on Twitter, and I invited myself to the station when I met Simon at a local community tidy-up of our local park.

Once a flat concrete area, the rooftop has become an oasis for both firefighters and wildlife. Every space has been utilised effectively. I love the wildflower meadow, and all the vegetables and fruit - potatoes, cauliflower, onions, beans and strawberries - which will end up being used in their meals. And I loved all the upcycled pots made from car tyres, central heating units, and anything else that would accommodate soil and plants!

Simon is now the green champion for the London Fire Brigade and is spending this year visiting all the London fire stations to encourage them to turn green and sustainable.

And he’s getting ready to show at Hampton Court Flower Show this July. Really exciting! I’m looking forward to seeing him on the TV, hopefully with Monty Don!

And as we chatted, we discovered so many ‘connections’, either through social media, our love of gardening, green issues and our local community. Only connects indeed!